Pressure grows on parties to form a coalition
Government formation talks between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil will resume tomorrow, with both parties under growing pressure to secure a deal on a workable coalition to face the Covid-19 crisis.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said today a government that was “constitutionally sound” and with a “solid majority” was needed in the months ahead.
Both parties will exchange policy papers on health and the economy, among other areas, amid expectation that an emergency budget will be needed soon.
While the Government unveiled a €3.7bn package to support those who had lost jobs, Mr Martin signalled that more financial decisions lay ahead.
Speaking to RTÉ, he said: “We don’t have an overall economic assessment of this, and €3.7bn today on top of €2bn — obviously in the latter half of this year there will be very significant issues and, in the coming months... a government that’s constitutionally sound, that has a solid majority, has to be formed to deal with the many, many repercussions, both health and economic, that will flow from this crisis.”
His call came after the Taoiseach said he was committed to government formation talks, but that the priority first must be fighting the spread of the virus.
Speaking at Government Buildings, Mr Varadkar said: “Our job has to be focused on Covid-19, on this health and economic emergency, but — to the extent that we can find time — we are finding time for those negotiations.”
He said that Fine Gael negotiators would continue talks to try and agree a “common paper on the way forward”.
Mr Varadkar added: “And we are open to talking to the Greens, Labour, the Social Democrats, and other groups that may wish to speak to us, but the priority has to be Covid-19. I think people would expect no less.”
Mr Martin said his view, and that of Fianna Fáil, had been “not to play politics with this and not to engage in any politics at all around this virus”.
“We’re working together as a political entity in Dáil Éireann to try and help the national effort to deal with this unprecedented crisis,” said Mr Martin.
Talks between the two parties are scheduled to continue at 3pm Wednesday.
There is growing pressure for a deal to be done, with an expectation that an emergency budget will have to be agreed in the weeks ahead.
تعليقات
إرسال تعليق